A Story From the Owlrey
by Fanfictionation
Summary: Hey Guys, I'm new to . Plus, I'm not that good a summarys. One-Shot. Hermione is on her way to send a letter to her parents, but who does she come across on the way? Please give constructive criticism. I'd like to get better at writing. The story's mine but all rights go to the ever-genius J.K. Rowling.
1. Chapter 1

Hermione strolled down the hallway toward the owlrey. Her hands holding a thick letter that was meant for her parents. She grasped the railing along the length of the spiral staircase, her 14 year old legs quickly climbing them. She then steered herself into a huge, tall, circular room filled with the noises of hoots and squawks all over. There were hundreds of owls, swooping by up above, circling the tower outside the window. Flashes of brown and white and gray flew past. There was just one problem with the picture; Draco Malfoy was standing across the room with his back to Hermione, trying to attach a letter to his stubborn, golden-brown Eagle owl.  
"God, hold still! Will you?" He growled at his owl as Hermione leaned against the side of the doorway, playing with the letter in her hands. She was looking intently at Draco. She noticed something different about him. She couldn't point it out though. He had the same smirking face. The same tall, overpowering figure. The same blonde hair that lazily fell over his forehead and that, to Hermione, was almost good looking. But this year, 4th year, was different. She slid into the room slowly, trying not to make a sound. As she took her first step, a straw snapped under her foot. It barely made noise but Draco tilted his head anyway and spun around, looking at Hermione.  
"Granger, what are you doing here?" He said with his trademark sneer, looking her up and down.  
"Excuse me, I don't believe this is the Slytherin common room. This is the owlrey. It's perfectly accessible to everyone." She said indignantly.  
"Don't try to confuse me with your big words, Granger…And yes, I know what they mean." Hermione had to admit as much as she hated it, she thought he did get pretty moderate grades. Suddenly a huge crash came from the hall below them and then a cry of,  
"PEEVES!" That could only be the voice of Filch, the Hogwarts caretaker. Hermione ignored the noise and stuck out her arm for one of the school owls since she had a large, orange cat named Crookshanks who, obviously could not deliver letters. The sleek looking, black and brown owl flew down onto her arm and stuck out its foot obediently. Hermione attached the letter, took the owl to the window and with a lift of its wings, it flew off of her arm into the snowy November cold. She watched it fly away and disappear into the white as Draco looked at her, gawking. She turned to him, smiling in what seemed to him like a know-it-all kind of way. She knew she had impressed him with the handling of the owl and she liked this new position of power. So she took it a little further.  
"Impressed, Malfoy?"  
"No way! I could do that." He said surly. He stuck out his arm for a different owl and after a minute of hesitation from all of them, one light brown owl reluctantly floated down onto his upper arm.  
"See… "  
"Very good-" Hermione's words got cut off by a wheezing Filch that came sliding into the room on his heels. Breathing as though he just ran a marathon, he choked out,  
"Have… have yo-…have you seen where Peeves might have gone?" Hermione and Draco exchanged confused looks.  
"No" they said in unison. Filches eyes suddenly got very wide and looked at Malfoy.  
"YOU!" He pointed at him.  
"You had something to do with this!" Draco frowned and stuck his hands in the air innocently. The owl that was on his arm took off and hooted angrily.  
"I did not! I was here with Granger."  
"You think I'm gonna fall for that one, boy?-" Hermione interrupted him softly.  
"No, it's true. He was here with me. I was delivering a letter myself and I was just going to help Draco attach his when you came up." Draco ogled Hermione for a great deal of time before anyone said anything. Partly because he was taken by surprise by the use of his first name and partly because It was very unlikely for her to help the person who had made it a goal to make her life a living hell for the past 3 and a half years. Hermione looked surly at Filch, waiting for his reply.  
"No!…I will not stand fer this… this boy's foolin'-around anymore. It has gone far enough." Filch squinted at him and started telling him off as Draco rolled his eyes in that Devil-may-care attitude. Hermione thought that he looked rather cute when he got into trouble with his head cocked and his arms crossed as he listened to Filch ramble on. A bored look was cast over his eyes as if he couldn't believe how much someone could overreact.  
And Hermione, for once, felt the same thing as him.  
"-And if I ever suspect anything like this again, mark my words: you'll be hangin' by yer thumbs in the dungeons! We're goin' to the Head Master. Follow me!" Malfoy hesitated to follow but reluctantly left the owlrey behind Filch, knowing that when it really wasn't his fault, Dumbledor would be fair. Hermione looked on after Draco as she stuck her head out of the tall room. Malfoy was looking back at her with an expression of what seemed to be, thankfulness? She couldn't help but smile as she walked back into the room. Suddenly, she stared at Malfoy's letter lying on the ground that he meant to send. His letter was bound in a scroll of parchment. The Eagle Owl had flown off when Filch came into the picture. Hermione picked it up off the ground. She knew she shouldn't read it but she thought about all the times that Malfoy terrorized her and curiosity got the better of her. Soon she was hurriedly reading the letter...


	2. Chapter 2

In the letter.

Dear Hermione,  
I'm sure by now, you have come to hate the person writing this letter. But that's why I'm writing it. I was hoping that I could confess something I've wanted to for a long time,  
Anonymously.  
Because even as I know you won't believe me if you knew who I was. I love you, Hermione Granger. So much. It's taken me a long, long time to realize that I was falling in love with you. Please don't try to find out who this is. It's better for both of us if you don't know.

I love you-  
Anonymous

Hermione stared open mouthed at the letter. Her heart was beating fast and hard. 'It's not that anonymous anymore.' She thought. Hundreds of questions were bursting in her mind. She tore her eyes away from the letter and spun around.  
There, standing in the doorway, looking as unfathomable as ever, was Draco. His face was slightly red and his chest was rising fast. He was panicked. Hermione stood, the letter hanging limp in her left hand. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Instead Draco walked right up to her, leaned down, and kissed her. His right hand on her waist and his left hand on the back of her neck in her hair. Hermione put her hands around his neck. The kiss lasted about 4 seconds before Draco broke away to look down at her. She looked up and smiled incredulously. He smiled too, but it was to himself.


End file.
